From facts to information:
Digital Footprints That Are Transforming Education
by: Ayi M. Sirojudin
Every morning, starting at 6:30 a.m., hundreds of students enter the school gates, creating several empirical facts that are ready to be recorded. Their attendance, exam scores, and even their future graduation dates are all raw realities that form the lifeblood of the education world. These facts are the cornerstone of the Education Management Information System (SIMDIK), a system built on the basis of verifiable truth.
However, facts alone are not enough. They are raw materials that have not yet been processed. This is where data comes into play. As Murdick, Ross, and Claggett (1997) emphasis, data are unprocessed facts and figures, structured symbols waiting to be given meaning. In the context of education, data are not only obtained from computers, but can also be supporting documents, ledgers, or historical archives that will one day awaken from their slumber and speak louder.
So, how can this dormant data speak? The answer lies in the magical transformation process we call information. Gordon B. Davis (1995) defines information as data that has been processed into a meaningful form, an entity that is ready to reduce uncertainty and become the basis for decision making. This is the moment when dead numbers in spreadsheets turn into strategies, policies, and progressive steps for educational institutions.
But not all information can be considered high quality. According to Singh (2005), good information must meet four criteria: it must be accurate, relevant, timely, and presented in an appropriate and easily understandable form. It must reach users at their respective levels, whether they are head teachers, teachers, or supervisors, in an easily digestible format, at the right time, and with a level of depth appropriate to their needs. Information that is accurate but late or out of date, or relevant but presented in a disorderly manner, is like car headlights shining brightly in broad daylight: it is useful but not very practical.
This is the flow of value creation in SIMDIK, namely from 'facts data information quality decisions'. A cycle that transforms raw reality into strategic policies, transforms student attendance into an analysis of attendance trends, and transforms exam scores into actionable competency maps.
Understanding this hierarchy and transformation is not just theory; it is a fundamental basis for anyone who wants to build or optimize SIMDIK. In an increasingly complex world of education, the ability to turn facts into quality information is no longer just a technical skill, but an art of managing the future.
An effective SIMDIK not only processes data, but also responds to educational challenges in a more intelligent, transparent, and accountable manner. It is a bridge between today's reality and tomorrow's possibilities.
